Ferries
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The Portsmouth to Gosport Ferry
My mum moves out of Southsea tomorrow. She has been busy with the emotional task of chucking out what needs to be chucked out, and putting into storage what needs to be put into storage, as she continues to look for somewhere new to live in the old, familial lands of Nottingham. Last week I Read more
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The Hovercraft from Southsea to Ryde
The Hovercraft from Southsea in Hampshire to Ryde on the Isle of Wight is the last commercial passenger hovercraft service in England, and one of two left in Europe. [1] Hovercrafts were the future, once. A British invention, from the endearingly stereotypical crackpot eccentric Christopher Cockrell, these were the postwar zeppelins: a mode of transport Read more
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Cycling London to Berlin, Day #2: Tooting to Harwich International
“Once you’re tired of London, you’re tired of life,” as my Dad once told me, quoting Samuel “L” Johnson out of Blackadder. He didn’t tell me this was a quote, of course. I found this out much later. And I didn’t know the full quote until now: “When a man is tired of London, he Read more
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London to Berlin, via Harwich Ferry and European Sleeper
Last time, I came to Berlin via the night ferry and then a day train from Amsterdam. It’s now possible to flip reverse it: the day sailing from Harwich, and then a sleeper from Holland. [1] My journey started at 5:25am in Furzedown, near Tooting Common, with Murphy the dog forlornly watching me get underway. Read more
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The Orient Express, terminating at Luton Airport
It is late night in Brighton, and from my flat window I can hear one of the last trains crossing the ten million bricks of London Road viaduct. Arriving back from Istanbul was a strange, jarring thing. I had only been in the city for five nights, but as always, had adapted quickly. Street cats, Read more
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Eigg to Oban: a tale of three ferries
I was up on Eigg for Lost Map’s Howlin’ Fling festival – you can read my review of it up on the Morning Star website [1]. This blog post is about what happened after I left, covered in midge bites and having enjoyed all the island’s many tourist activities (amazing music festival, rocky outcrop walk, Read more
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